Photo By Senior Airman Ivy Thomas | The 121st Air Refueling Wing gave a base tour to The Buckeye Tigers Aerospace Career...... read more read more
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RICKENBACKER AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ohio - Around 30 members from the Columbus, Ohio "Buckeye Tigers" Aerospace Career Education Academy visited the 121st Air Refueling Wing for a base tour here, July 15, 2023.
The group was addressed by U.S. Army Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., while U.S. Air Force Col. Lance Kollstedt, the 121st Air Refueling Wing Operations Group Commander, accompanied the group around the base.
The base tour included stops at the fire department, maintenance, the Boom Operator Simulation System, and a static display of a KC-135 Stratotanker.
Isaiah Sillis, a young member of ACE who already has 30 flight hours, expressed his excitement for the experience, saying, "I like doing things like this because it is not only about flying. Coming on base, we get to see the behind-the-scenes of many jobs in the Air Force and learn a lot".
The Buckeye Tigers ACE was founded in 2008 by John Mitchell, whose father was a Tuskegee Airman. ACE aims to expose young adults in middle and high school to various aviation career fields in the Columbus and greater Central Ohio region.
Mitchell started this program after realizing that very few people knew the story of the Tuskegee Airmen in Lockbourne, Ohio.
"I thought this was a travesty and something they needed to know about," shared Mitchell. Shortly after, there was the first ACE camp in Columbus, Ohio.
Kollstedt explained, "Presenting the 121st story to many motivated youth groups like ACE will ensure our wing's continued excellence and success." He also mentioned that the energy and perspective of new and future members offer a renewal and innovative spirit for the 121st going forward.
| Date Taken: | 07.18.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 07.19.2023 10:47 |
| Story ID: | 449412 |
| Location: | COLUMBUS, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 190 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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